By Abby Anderson | Member of Leadership Team
Violence against children and adolescents is a reality present in all societies and is manifest in a variety of ways. According to World Health Organization statistics, 40 million people under the age of 14 suffer from some type of mistreatment that requires medical and/or social attention. This violence takes on many forms, including commercial sexual exploitation. Hundreds of millions of people travel each year, many to explore, learn, and experience new things. Some, however, have distorted this practice and exploit children and adolescents. This is a direct violation of the law, and demands a societal response.
The “Abuse-free Uruguay” Movement is a direct response to this reality, promoting healthy interactions and encouraging tourists to protect and not exploit children and adolescents while traveling. The Movement, which completed its second year in March 2014, was successful and transformative for the adolescents that led the movement, tourists, businesses, and the society at large.
The steps involved in the “Abuse-free Uruguay Movement” are as follows:
This movement has a widespread impact because of its hands-on and multifaceted approach and involvement of many subsets of society. The message of protecting children reaches adolescent volunteers that promote the movement, the personnel that work in the tourist industry, the media networks that donate publicity to the movement, well-known artists that express their support, society at large through media coverage, and the tourists who are given tips for how to protect children’s rights while traveling. The project is unique in its capacity to bring together people from different sectors of society to work collaboratively for the good of the society at large.
“I believe this movement is very important (…) because Uruguay in the last several years has been recognized for its just treatment of all people, free education, solidarity, and concern for the wellbeing of all people. These are values that are being lost, and so it is essential in order for Uruguay to maintain these values it represents and in Chile it would beneficial so that we could rebuild what has been lost (…). I believe that these topics that have to do with values and principles have to be put into concrete terms, just as the Movement does. Ideas are spread with words but only take hold with actions, and who we are is demonstrated by what we do.”
Patricio Santamaria, Chilean tourist
The movement continues to have a strong presence throughout the capital city of Montevideo through different publicity tools and large billboards. Currently, the movement´s message and logo are displayed for hundreds of thousands of viewers on the main road in downtown (Avenida Italia), in the central bus station (Tres Cruces), in the airport, on the main freeway to the coastal cities, in the main port, and in other prominent places. The Facebook page also continues to be a central tool in speading the message, and was viewed over 44 thousand time over the course of the past month.
“I am motivated to participate in this movement because it is directed at the prevention of commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents and I was an abused child. It is important that people recognize that these things do happen, and closer to them than they think.”
Leader of the Trans Group in Maldonado, Uruguay
Creating awareness among children, families, those who work with the tourist industry, and among society as a whole is the first step to protecting children against violence. The “Abuse-free Uruguay Movement” is making strides in this work, but there is still work to be done. Join us in making this world a safer, healthier world.
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